


Restless

by sbuggbot



Category: SteamWorld Quest (Video Game)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Families of Choice, Gen, Insomnia, but then again when isn't my stuff, headcanon heavy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-27
Updated: 2020-11-27
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:13:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27746533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sbuggbot/pseuds/sbuggbot
Summary: Orik has trouble sleeping sometimes.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 3





	Restless

**Author's Note:**

> Another more casual work for me, I've wanted to do something with a headcanon that Orik has insomnia for a while so this happened. I'm not even done writing this (surprise surprise for me at this point) but I was still really eager to share what I had so far. Once again I use fanfics to share headcanons :P

Orik hadn't been sleeping well for a while, with him not being able to sleep at all for the past several nights. Usually, sunrises were nice, but watching the sun cheekily rise after a restless night was insulting. Insomnia wasn't anything new to him--he'd had issues on and off but persistently for years--but he still hated it when he had rough bouts like this. 

He had figured out how to function on less sleep than was ideal and it carried him through most situations, but it didn't really work when he was struggling like this. Ageless(maybe??) Legend or not, he still needed  _ some _ proper sleep. 

It wasn't like he was avoiding it because of nightmares or anything. He was certainly trying what he could, but the best he could manage was laying quietly in his bed. Sleep. Just. Wouldn't. Come. The few times he did doze off, it was never very deep or for very long.

The others were starting to notice and comment on how tired he looked. Washing away the dark marks under his eyes every morning could only do so much. That was when Orik knew for sure it was getting bad; that he wasn't imagining things. At least not yet…

He was upfront with the others about what was bothering him, at least, even blunt: no, he hadn't been able to sleep much last night or the night before. No point in trying to dodge it, just telling the truth was easier here. It spared them the extra worries that came from mysteries and it meant he didn't have to keep track of a different story.

\----

The cup Orik was holding slipped out of his hands and spilled tea all over the table (and himself). "Oh---" He righted the cup and mumbled something the others couldn't make out, more than likely because it was in a different language. 

"Dude, are you okay?" Galleo asked. No dishes were harmed this time around but it was still startling. 

"Yes, I'm sorry, let me clean that up," he said as he stood up to get a towel. Even on days where his old aches and pains were intense he wasn't  _ this _ clumsy.

Copernica reached for his arm and grabbed it gently to get him to turn around and face her. "Stop and look at me for a moment." She studied his face briefly and muttered, "Geez, Orik, you look  _ terrible!" _

"Thank you, I was quite aware of that. I hid my face for so long for a reason, don't you know." He only got snarkier as he got more tired, he found. 

"That's not what I--" Copernica turned away to pinch her bridge while she collected her thoughts. "I meant that you look exhausted.  _ Worryingly _ exhausted," she added before Orik could be a smartass again.

"It can't feel good," Thayne mumbled, shy but more willing to voice his concern than his sister.

"I'll admit, I don't think my insomnia's been this bad in a long time."  _ Or maybe there's just other people around to notice, _ he thought as he started wiping up the bulk of the spill. "Not very much I can do about it, I've tried a lot of things over the years…" 

"Aren't there like spells or something for that?" Armilly asked. "I know Coco knows a spell or two…" Copernica nodded, she did actually.

"And that usually works for random sleepless nights, but when it's a chronic issue like this…" he shook his head. "Doesn't help as much. I might sleep but it doesn't actually help break it, my brain needs to remember how to make me sleep on its own."

"Oh…"

Orik shrugged and hung the towel over the faucet to dry. "It can't really be helped… oh, I spilled it on the floor, too…"

"We'll take care of it, you go clean yourself up."

"I appreciate it, thank you."

"You don't have anything big planned today, do you?"

He looked back and shook his head. "I was planning on going about my business as usual wherever I can, though," he said. He was mostly retired anyway. "I'm a rather functional insomniac."

"Well, try not to get in it way over your head then," Tarah said. She sounded snarky about it but that was the main way she knew how to show concern.

"I will, I know when to stop pushing my limits."

\----

He'd managed to spill his drink on his robes, down his front, and on his lap; wonderful. Of course, this had to happen shortly after he'd gotten dressed for the day, when else? 

Orik cleaned himself off, changed, and put the soiled outfit aside to be washed later. At least washing that material wasn't as difficult as some were led to believe, especially since it was for a garment worn every day.

Something he'd deal with later when he wasn't so drained. Maybe it wasn't the kindest thing for future Orik, but present Orik currently felt like crud and didn't want to do it.

He  _ hurt _ all over. Even if he did spend the majority of the night laying down in bed, his joints and his back were still screaming from fatigue. His head ached and his eyes stung. It wasn't as debilitating as the times his joints locked up and stopped him from doing much but it was up there in annoyances. 

\----

Galleo was used to being used as a giant pillow. He was big and generally warmer than the surrounding environment, and therefore more comfortable. This led to his friends leaning against him and falling asleep sometimes. With them, he didn't mind. Deep down, he liked the extra cuddles too.

What he wasn't expecting was for  _ Orik _ of all people to do so while they were both on the couch doing their own things. Despite being plenty sociable and charismatic, the man still kept to himself a lot. There were still quite a few barriers he kept up, probably out of habit more than anything. But there he was, Orik had definitely fallen asleep on Galleo's shoulder while reading something. Benji had even switched to Orik's shoulder and was nestled against his collar.

Orik was a close enough friend that Galleo let him be. Especially considering how much trouble he'd been having getting any sleep; waking him just felt cruel. 

So Galleo shifted a bit so he could keep tinkering with the parts he had and accepted his current fate. He stayed like that for a good while, idly working away like nothing had changed. 

There was some sort of noise outside. Galleo hardly noticed until Orik began to stir somewhat. He went still and quiet to see if he'd just fall back asleep or not.

Evidently not, he jumped like he had burst into flames, knocking Benji off his perch. "Galleo!" Orik cried while he hastily sat back up. "I--I am  _ so _ sorry, I don't know how that happened. If I ever do that again,  _ please _ don't be afraid to wake me up…"

Galleo really didn't seem to care (because he didn't) and waved it off. "Nah, it's fine, Milly and Coco fall asleep on me all the time."

That was different in Orik's mind, Galleo had known them for years. "Yes, but--"

"So did Tarah and Thayne a time or two. I kinda wondered when you were ever going to fall asleep on me too."

"I...I still apologize for that."

Galleo let it drop. "Did you sleep good at least? You looked like you really needed it."

Orik rubbed his eyes. "I actually fell asleep, so I suppose I did."

"The Sleep Police is gonna get you, Armilly has a way of finding me or Coco when either of us stay up too late."

"She already  _ has _ caught me a time or two, mostly trying to bust one of you two," Orik said. "She let me go once I explained to her that this wasn't a voluntary choice."

"Huh." Galleo didn't know that was even possible; the Sleep Police was very stubborn. "You can go back to sleep if you want."

Already Orik was pushing himself up. "No, you've got things to do and I don't want to trap you. Besides, if I nap right now I'll have even more trouble sleeping tonight."

"Alright, suit yourself, I guess," Galleo said with a shrug. At least he could help for a little while.

\----

It'd been several days now, this was getting ridiculous. He could not function on only a few hours of sleep spread over the course of the last two or three days, and that was counting the accidental nap on Galleo. It was a massive struggle to think clearly and Orik certainly didn't trust himself with any form of weapon. 

He fiddled with a potion vial while he waited on his tea, rolling it back and forth on the tabletop under his hand. It was getting late and he planned to at least try to go to bed soon. Even though he didn't like doing so, artificially induced sleep was better than no sleep at this point.

Orik felt vaguely aware of Tarah sitting next to him. "I thought you avoided sleep potions and stuff?" he heard her ask.

He didn't look up but explained, "Normally I don't like turning to something like this to sleep but I  _ really _ don't want to start hallucinating." 

Armilly's voice came from behind him. "Who are you talking to?"

"Tar---" Orik looked behind him to Armilly, back at the clearly empty chair next to him, and back at Armilly. Tarah had already gone to bed, he realized. After several seconds Orik put his head down. "Nobody, evidently," he sighed. "I'm already hallucinating things."

"I promise I'm real," Armilly said as she walked over and sat down backwards in an empty chair. When he hardly moved and didn't pick his head up, she asked, "Are you ok…?"

"I'm just frustrated, is all. I'm tired, I'm losing my grip on reality, and even with that there's no guarantee I'll be able to sleep properly soon."

Armilly looked down, picking at the back of the chair. "I know you said there isn't much we can do to help you sleep, but we'll all do what we can to make it easier on you…"

Orik lifted his head and sat back up but didn't have anything productive or even snarky to say in response. He'd had his fill of this mess days ago and it was wearing on him and hard.

Armilly twisted around in her chair and pulled Orik into a warm hug that he immediately relaxed into. When she wasn't being overzealous and hugging too hard, she gave pretty good hugs.

"...I think I really needed that, thank you," he muttered as they broke the hug. It had lifted some of the heaviness in his chest. 

"You're welcome."

Right then Armilly got distracted and looked over at the mug on the table. "I don't think you actually put any tea in your tea…"

That got Orik to look at his drink closer. He had, in fact, been waiting on a cup of hot water to brew. Weakly laughing despite himself, he said, "I'm really glad I don't live alone anymore." He picked up his head. "Did I turn the stove off at least?"

"Yeah, it's out and off," she said. She even manually checked for him.

"Thank you, at least I can still manage that for now," he said, half making fun of himself. "Goodnight, if you're going to bed soon…"

"Goodnight, Orik, hopefully you'll be able to sleep, soon…" she said while getting up. A smirk popped up on her face. "And goodnight to Imaginary Tarah, too."

Orik flat-out burst into laughter from that. He was  _ very _ tired. "I'll pass that onto her if she shows up again, although I'd prefer if she didn't."

**Author's Note:**

> stay tuned ?


End file.
